Chili con Carne

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp  of olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1kg / 2¼lb lean, minced beef
• 250ml / 9fl oz of red wine
• 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of tomato paste
• 2 red chilies, thinly sliced, or 3–4 tsp of dried chili flakes
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 1 tsp of ground coriander
• 1 cinnamon stick
• a good shake of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 beef stock cube
• 2 x 400g cans of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large bunch of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• wedges of lime, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.

2. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2–3 minutes.

3. Stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh chilli or chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.

4. Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice, guacamole, sour cream and a big green salad.

Tip: The chilli is much tastier a day or two after it’s cooked because the flavours develop and the texture becomes richer. Simply leave to cool, stick in the fridge and gently heat before serving. If you’re eating the chilli on the day you prepared it, any leftovers can be frozen in individual portions in well-sealed containers.